


Plato's Stepchildren:  Bitter Dregs

by Cheree_Cargill



Series: Glimpses of a Life [74]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s03e12 Plato's Stepchildren, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 09:32:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15793797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheree_Cargill/pseuds/Cheree_Cargill
Summary: Following the incidents on Platonius, Spock goes to comfort Christine and they spend a surprising night together.





	Plato's Stepchildren:  Bitter Dregs

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: The Star Trek characters are the property of Paramount Studios, Inc. The story contents are the creation and property of Cheree Cargill and is copyright (c) 2018 by Cheree Cargill. This story is Rated PG.

> _Stardate:_ _5785._ _8._ _First Officer Spock recording_

We are back aboard the _Enterprise_ and speeding away from Platonius at fastest warp. Can Parmen's mind reach us here? Does his telekinetic power have a limit? Or have we cowed him into leaving us well alone? We cannot tell. I believe that his telekinetic power, although great, is limited by distance. He is not especially _telepathic_. During our encounter, I hardly ever felt him actually reaching into my mind, more manipulating me by moving me as he desired. It was decidedly unpleasant, but generally my _mind_ remained my own. He was, however, able to reach into my thoughts and the Captain's to pinpoint Miss Uhura and Miss Chapel as the females on board with which the two of us had the greatest affection.

After the Captain had bested Parmen, he sent the ladies, Dr. McCoy, Alexander and myself to retrieve our uniforms and equipment while he stayed in the arena room and made sure that the Platonians did not try anything to keep us from leaving. I quickly changed out of that ridiculous toga back into my uniform, as did Miss Chapel and Miss Uhura. Then I went with Alexander to quickly gather a few of his things while the others took Captain Kirk his uniform. The Captain did not bother to redress there. He was concentrating on holding Parmen at bay.

It took less than fifteen minutes before we were gathered back together and then we beamed back to the ship. Kirk called the bridge and ordered the helmsman to set a new course and we warped out of orbit. The Captain sent the ladies and Alexander with Dr. McCoy to sick bay, then quickly pulled on his uniform in the transporter room and the two of us followed them.

It was a stunned and shaken group that went through quick medical tests. Of special concern were the Captain and me because of the kironide injections we had taken. Ultimately, there was nothing that we could do but wait until it wore off naturally. Dr. McCoy, whom I could see was hanging on by a thread, ordered all of us off duty and to our quarters.

As we were leaving, Dr. M'Benga took him in hand and ordered him onto a diagnostic bed. I took note of Alexander, the Platonian dwarf, standing by and looking quite bewildered. Everything was completely outside of his experience and I got the impression that he was warring with himself over whether he had made the right decision in leaving the only home he'd ever known, bad as it was.

Back in my quarters, I stood and pondered what I should do next. My mind was whirling with unfettered emotions and I could not seem to regain my composure. I felt totally out of control. The sadism displayed by Parmen as he used Jim and me as his puppets had torn my discipline to shreds. I felt anger, shame, and despair … dozens of emotions that I was not accustomed to, running rampant in my mind. For several moments, I could not move as I attempted to bring myself back into equilibrium.

A small noise alerted me to movement and I looked up to see Jim standing in the doorway of our shared bathroom. He was no longer in uniform but dressed in civilian clothing, soft blue pullover, pants and low boots.

"I'm going to check on everyone," he said. "Especially Nyota. She was lying to me when she said she wasn't afraid. I need to make sure she's all right." He peered at me closely and I could feel the anger radiating from him, not at me personally but from what we'd been through. He was also back in command, caring more about his people than himself. " _You_ go check on how Christine is doing. And don't go marching in there like you're just doing your duty. That was a sexual assault she and Nyota experienced. Chris needs to feel you care about her personal welfare. I'd suggest wearing something softer and casual like I'm doing. It will seem less threatening. I can loan you a sweater if you don't have anything."

"Thank you, Captain," I said a bit stiffly. "I do have off-duty attire."

He nodded. "I'll look in on Bones and then see how Alexander is settling in. I'm sure he needs some company, too." With that he ducked back through the other door and into his cabin. I heard the main entrance snick open and close as he went out into the corridor.

Sighing deeply, I rummaged through my dresser to pull out my seldom worn civilian attire.

* * *

I found Christine already clad in her nightgown, a long, satiny peach-colored sheath that moved in enticing waves as she paced around her cabin, wringing her hands. Her face had been scrubbed bare of the garish make-up that had been applied against her will, and her hair brushed loose about her shoulders from the elaborate up-do.

She was close to hysteria, the full horror of what she had been forced to do only now coming home. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" she kept saying in a trembling voice. "I feel so ashamed! What if they'd forced us to-- What if they'd made you -- _rape_ me! Oh, my God! Oh, Spock, I am so sorry!"

I finally caught her arms and stopped her pacing. "Christine! Please, be still. I am agitated enough without you speculating on things that did not happen."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she repeated and hid her face in her hands, sobbing brokenly. "I'm just so upset! How can you stand it, Mr. Spock? What they made us do?!"

"Christine, I stand it because I must." I continued to hold her arms, perhaps a bit too firmly but my control was slipping again as I thought back to the abuse that had been forced upon us. "We were _all_ assaulted. What they did to us was only a continuation of what Parmen forced the Captain and me to do. I have never experienced such violation! It loosed such shame and anger in me that I wanted to wrap my hands around his throat and strangle the life out of him! _I wanted to kill him!_ "

I dropped my hands from her arms and then felt my fingers squeezing into fists, my nails cutting so deeply into my palms that I almost brought blood to the surface of my skin. As I thought of the manipulation that I had endured by Parmen – the stripping of the control of my emotions to public display, the laughing, the crying, the dancing around Jim's face -- the kironide still in my system began to burst into flame. My rage seethed higher than I could contain and I turned my face away and pressed my eyes shut.

Incredible fury rose in my soul once more and I could not hold it in check. Beneath my feet, I felt the deck begin to shudder and I heard the items on Christine's shelves start to rattle. Her desk chair danced across the floor as the deck plates heaved and I heard her give a little scream.

Then she grabbed my forearms and shook me hard, shouting, "Spock! Stop! _STOP!_ "

With a gasp, I yanked myself back into control and the telekinetic power I was projecting subsided. I stood breathing heavily as she stared up at me in fear.

The intercom whistled and Captain Kirk's voice came through. "Kirk to Spock! Spock, are you there?"

I sighed deeply, shaken, and moved to the desk, pressing the intercom key. "Yes, Captain. I am here."

"Spock! Was that you just now?"

"Yes, Captain. I apologize. I lost control for a moment."

"I understand. But don't tear the ship apart, all right?"

"It will not happen again."

"Okay. Everything all right otherwise?"

"Yes. And with you?"

"Fine. I'm with Miss Uhura. She's recovering nicely but I'll stay awhile. Call me if you need anything."

"Affirmative, Captain. Spock out."

With another sigh, I clicked off the intercom and stood still gazing down at the desk. Behind me, Christine moved up close and asked softly, anxiously, "How long will that last, Spock? How long before you're back to normal?"

"Unknown," I answered in a like voice. "I need to meditate, but I fear being alone while I wrestle with my emotions. With the kironide still coursing through my veins, if I cannot center myself, I could do anything."

She pressed against my arm and I could see that tears were still streaming down her cheeks. "I don't want to be alone either, Spock," she whispered. "I'm so afraid. I can't tell you what it was like feeling my body taken over and yanked around like a marionette … forcefully undressed by hands I couldn't even see…"

"I know _exactly_ what it was like," I assured her. "I too felt such violation … such humiliation." I closed my eyes again and felt the fires within me flare slightly once more. With determination, I fought them back down.

Christine had felt the emotion quiver through me and she reached up to touch my face. "Stay here with me tonight, Spock," she entreated. "I'll watch over you and you can watch over me, okay? I think we both need company tonight."

Surprisingly, the thought was appealing. I felt shattered. My emotions were so jumbled that I truly needed something to focus on for my meditation and the thought of her wrapped in my arms brought an unexpected amount of comfort to my mind.

I closed my eyes and nodded mutely. I felt her warm breath sigh against my shoulder and then her hands were gently urging me toward her bed. I didn't know what she expected of me, but I knew that I must maintain control for both of us. Silently, she slipped between the sheets and watched me, waiting for me to undress and join her.

Instead, I pulled the blanket up around her, then kicked off my shoes and lay down behind her, fully dressed and atop the covers. Snuggling against her back, I slipped my arm across her waist and pressed myself into her warmth. "Computer, lights out," I said and the cabin was plunged into darkness, save for the blue service lights that kept the room from being pitch black.

We lay that way for what seemed like a very long time, but I knew she was still awake. I could feel her torment and the tenseness in her body as the emotions spilled from her mind to my own. They mirrored what I was feeling.

I held her a bit tighter and felt her hand slide onto mine, trembling slightly. Then, almost hesitantly, she moved our joined hands up her ribs until I felt the soft swell of her breast press against my fingers. My heart pounded harder, as her longing flooded into me through our joined touch. But then, although I savored the long moment of intimacy, I resolutely moved our hands back down to their original position.

"Not tonight, Christine," I murmured gently against her hair. "Neither of us is ready. We are both still suffering from too much distress. I want our first joining to be filled with joy and not the memory of what has happened today."

I felt her sob and she turned over in my arms, burying her face against my chest. "You know I want you so much," she whispered, "I'd do anything you asked of me … but you're right. We need to wait. Oh, Spock, I love you so much."

"Sleep," I said softly and stroked her hair, projecting comfort and safety. In answer, she sniffed and closed her eyes, burrowed against me.

Twice during the night she whimpered and flinched in her sleep, obviously caught in bad dreams. Each time, I lightly touched her psi points and soothed her, letting her know that I was there and would keep her from harm. The second time, she turned over and spooned her back into my front, snuggling into my warmth. She had no more nightmares.

We lay nestled together until morning, then I quietly rose from her bed. Christine still slumbered against the blankets that held my body heat and I did not wish to wake her. Silently slipping on my shoes, I started for the door. It was 0513 and I would soon need to rise anyway to get ready for my duty shift.

"Spock?"

Turning, I went back to her and knelt down to her eye level. "Go back to sleep," I said in a soft voice. "I must return to my cabin to prepare for the day. I will check on you later."

"Thank you for staying last night," she replied quietly. "I feel like myself again. I don't think I could've made it through the night without you. Are you better, too?"

I nodded. "I spent the night in meditation and your presence helped center me. Thank you for allowing me to stay here."

Her lips pulled into a sweet smile. "Any time! We could make a habit of it if you're willing."

I felt a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth but attempted a reproving look. "Go back to sleep," I ordered.

She closed her eyes obediently and I left her quarters, making sure that the corridor was empty. I would not inflict more pain on her by having some crewmember seeing me emerging from Christine's cabin in the wee hours of the morning.

Just as I was about to head in the direction of the turbolift, the sound of a door sliding open jerked my head around in that direction – and I saw the Captain exiting Lt. Uhura's cabin three doors down! For a moment, we both stared at one another in surprise, then he laughed in delight and came my way. Slapping me on the back in camaraderie, we went to our respective quarters to get ready for our duty shifts. During the night, we had put lightyears between ourselves and Platonius.

 

THE END

 


End file.
